1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card-shaped storage medium which contains a storage device and to an information processing apparatus in which to mount the card-shaped storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views showing a related art. Referring to FIG. 1, a card-shaped storage medium 201, which contains a storage device (not shown), includes an electrode terminal portion 202. The information processing apparatus (part of which is shown) includes a connector 204 for the card-shaped storage medium 201, which is provided in the inside of the information processing apparatus employing the card-shaped storage medium 201, guide portions 205a and 205b provided on the connector 204, an electrode terminal portion 208 of the connector 204, and a printed circuit board 209 on which the connector 204 is mounted and which is incorporated in the information processing apparatus. When a user is to use the card-shaped storage medium 201, the user inserts the card-shaped storage medium 201 along the guide portions 205a and 205b of the connector 204 in the direction of the shown arrow and connects the electrode terminal portions 202 and 208 to each other. After the use of the card-shaped storage medium 201, the user ejects the card-shaped storage medium 201 along the guide portions 205a and 205b of the connector 204 in the direction opposite to that of the arrow shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows the state in which the card-shaped storage medium 201 is in use. As shown in FIG. 2, during the use of the card-shaped storage medium 201, the electrode terminal portion 202 of the card-shaped storage medium 201 and the electrode terminal portion 208 of the connector 204 are connected to each other, i.e., the card-shaped storage medium 201 and the internal electrical circuit of the information processing apparatus are electrically connected to each other.
However, the above-described related art has the following disadvantages.
(1) The card-shaped storage medium 201, when mounted in the information processing apparatus, is held only by the electrode terminal portions 202 and 208. As a result, if the electrode terminal portions 202 and 208 have a larger number of electrode terminals, a larger force will be needed to insert or eject the card-shaped storage medium 201. Conversely, as the number of electrode terminals becomes smaller, the force with which the card-shaped storage medium 201 is held in the information processing apparatus becomes weaker, so that the card-shaped storage medium 201 will easily come off owing to a vibration or the like of the information processing apparatus.
(2) If the user accidentally takes his/her hand off the card-shaped storage medium 201 while it is being ejected, the card-shaped storage medium 201 will drop from the apparatus and be damaged.
(3) Since the user cannot obtain a distinct click touch when the card-shaped storage medium 201 is inserted into the apparatus, he/she cannot judge whether the card-shaped storage medium 201 has been completely mounted in the apparatus.
(4) The electrode terminal portion 202 of the card-shaped storage medium 201 contains not only signal terminals, a grounding terminal and a power source terminal but also a terminal through which to detect whether the card-shaped storage medium 201 has been mounted in the apparatus. Since the electrode terminal portion 202 needs such a large number of electrode terminals, it is difficult to reduce the entire size of the electrode terminal portion 202 and a large force is needed to insert or eject the card-shaped storage medium 201.
(5) A plurality of electrode terminals are allocated for grounding and a power source to lower the contact resistance of the electrode terminal portion of the card-shaped storage medium 201.
(6) After data stored in a first child storage medium has been read into the information processing apparatus, if data stored in a second child storage medium is to be read into the information processing apparatus, the user needs to perform the awkward operation of temporarily removing a storage medium adapter from the information processing apparatus, mounting the second child storage medium in the storage medium adapter in place of the first child storage medium, and inserting the storage medium adapter into the information processing apparatus.
(7) If the user frequently repeats the operation of mounting and removing the storage medium adapter onto and from the connector of the information processing apparatus, the reliability of the connector will be impaired.
(8) In the case of an arrangement which allows the child storage medium to be removed from the storage medium adapter without removing the storage medium adapter from the information processing apparatus, since there is no locking mechanism, load, such as twisting force, may be applied to and cause damage to the connector of the information processing apparatus. This leads to a decrease in the reliability of the electrical connection between the child storage medium and the connector of the information processing apparatus.